Garret Sparks is one of the most polarizing figures in the goalie gear space, period. Up until the 2018 / 2019 NHL season, Sparks hasn’t even been on an active NHL roster for the entire season and he continues to wow with his eye for design.
For your enjoyment, throughout his career, we’re going to post images of his gear in a list below. We’ll start with his latest gear and work backwards in a timeline.
It’s a big storyline this season out of the Maple Leafs camp, do the Leafs keep Sparks and get rid of Mcelhinney, or do they offer Sparks as trade bait?
Garret Sparks Goalie Gear
We’ll start with his latest set, the gear Sparks will wear with the Leafs in the 2018/19 season.
It’s commonly known that the Maple Leafs organization requires it’s goalie to wear designs that aren’t overly polarizing. Sparks often designs his gear himself (as he did this one), and his ability to make a white based set pop really impresses. For more NHL goalie gear this year check out our article from earlier this season.
Sparks set from 2017/18 with the Toronto Marlies
The set is very similar to this years gear, minus a few of the extra additions above and below the graphic.
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Here’s another photo of the gear. The set works very well with both Blue and White jerseys combinations.
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Another thing that Sparks does very well (we’re assuming this is intentional), is tying his mask design into the gear he will wear during the season.
Here are a couple looks at his mask from last season.
Sparks has also traditionally worn a mask with a snarling wolf on it.
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One of the things Sparks does very well with his gear designs is pay homage to older, retired, gear designs.
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Here’s a Sparks wolf / yeti mask painted by Wzlhead.
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The 2016 / 2017 Season
Sparks wore another tribute set during the 16/17 season in which he spent the majority of the time with the Leafs AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.
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Another look at Sparks’ mask up close.
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2015 / 2016 Season
At the peak of Sparks throwback sets, he wore this gear near the end of the 2015/16 season. At this time, there was a bit of outrage as he had to move on from his Trevor Kidd tribute set.
It’s worth pointing out that Sparks changed his wolf / yeti mask to be “meaner for playoffs”.
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Here’s a cleaner look at the gear.
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Sparks wore an awesome Trevor Kidd throwback set, this was the set (in our opinon) that really put him on the map for the average fan.
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Here’s the mask he wore during the majority of that season.
And the gear in action.
Another mask, from earlier in the 2015/16 season. In this post, Sparks gives details on the “Sparks Spec Wall W8”.
One of the first times the gear was debuted. This is a very important point in the Garret Sparks gear timeline as it denotes when he switched from Reebok / CCM to Brian’s (also known as GoaliesOnly).
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Sparks at Star Wars night playing for the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL affiliate of the Leafs) wearing Reebok XLT pads. The Reebok XLT line followed the Reebok P4 line, before the gear went back to CCM branding.
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Here’s an XLT set that Sparks had custom padwrapped. To the best of our knowledge, Sparks is one of the only goalies to wear a custom pad wrap design in pro hockey.
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Interestingly enough, Sparks foreshadowed his switch to Brian’s gear near the end of the 2014/15 season when he posted the mockup of these pads on a Brain’s pad template. The original Brian’s GNETIK!
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2014 /2015 Season
Sparks dresses up a set of Reeboks in padwrap. During this season, he spent time with both the Marlies (AHL) and the Solar Bears (ECHL).
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Sparks wore this mask for the 2014/15 ECHL All Star Game.
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The set that Sparks started with, before the Solar Bears themed padwrap.
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Sparks’ Marlies mask this season.
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Another set Sparks used this season. This was in the fall of 2014.
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2013 / 2014 Season
The Reebok P4s!
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2012 / 2013 Season
Sparks played in the CHL with the Guelph Storm (who are a part of the OHL, within the CHL) and wore Reebok P4s.
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One of Sparks’ masks from that season.
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Sparks played in the World Junior Tournament during 2012. He wore Reebok P4s. While Sparks played Major Junior in Canada, he actually hails from Illinois, USA. It’s not incredibly uncommon for a goalie to take the Major Junior (CHL) route, but it’s not the most common either. Especially when goalies have had success jumping from Tier 2 (NAHL) in the US to the NHL, see Connor Hellebuyck.
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We will continue to update this article as Sparks works his way through his career. At the time of this writing, in late 2018, it looks like Sparks has already established himself as one of the top goalie prospects currently available.
